Agni Purana — Kosha, Shloka 35
Adhyāya 361 — अव्ययवर्गः
Avyaya-vargaḥ) — The Section on Indeclinables (Colophon/Closure
उदारो दातृमहतोरितरस्त्वन्यनीचयोः चूडा किरीटं केशाश् च संयता मौलयस्त्रयः
udāro dātṛmahatoritarastvanyanīcayoḥ cūḍā kirīṭaṃ keśāś ca saṃyatā maulayastrayaḥ
اُدار شخص کو عظیم عطا کرنے والا سمجھا جاتا ہے؛ اس کے برعکس خصلت نیچ اور کمینوں میں پائی جاتی ہے۔ سر کی تین ہیئتیں ہیں: “چُوڑا” (شِکھا/جٹا)، “کِریٹ” (مکُٹ)، اور “سَمیَت کیش” (بندھے/سنبھالے ہوئے بال)۔
Lord Agni (in dialogue instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, typical Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Social/ethical discernment (udāratā vs nīcatā) and identification of customary head-ornaments/hair arrangements in social settings and rites.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Marks of nobility and three head-forms (cūḍā, kirīṭa, saṃyatakeśa)","lookup_keywords":["udāra","dātṛ","cūḍā","kirīṭa","saṃyatakeśa"],"quick_summary":"Nobility is characterized by generosity; meanness by its opposite. The verse also lists three recognized head-forms/arrangements: topknot, crown, and bound hair."}
Concept: Udāratā (generosity) as a practical marker of inner virtue; external marks (mūrdhaja-ākāra) as conventional identifiers, not ultimate worth.
Application: Guides rulers/communities in honoring benefactors and recognizing roles/status in assemblies, rituals, and court protocol.
Khanda Section: Rajadharma / Samaja-niti (Signs of social types and external marks)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A public assembly: a generous noble distributing gifts contrasted with a miserly figure; above, three illustrated head-styles—cūḍā topknot, kirīṭa crown, and neatly bound hair—shown like a didactic chart.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, royal hall with a noble donor giving coins and cloth to supplicants, contrasting small panel of a mean man turning away, top border showing three head-styles (cūḍā, kirīṭa, saṃyatakeśa) as icon-like motifs","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, central crowned patron-king (kirīṭa) offering gifts, gold-leaf emphasis on crown and jewelry, side medallions depicting cūḍā and saṃyatakeśa hair forms, ornate arch frame","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, instructional composition with labeled head-forms in a neat row, below them a moral scene of charity vs miserliness, fine linework, soft colors, minimal background","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, darbar scene of a noble distributing alms, attendants with different hair arrangements, marginal illustrations of the three head-forms, intricate textiles and architectural detail"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: इतरस्त्वन्यनीचयोः → इतरः + तु + अन्यनीचयोः (ः + त् → स्त्); मौलयस्त्रयः → मौलयः + त्रयः (ः + त् → स्त्).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 361 (Rajadharma / Samāja-nīti subsections)
FAQs
It gives lakṣaṇa-vidyā style indicators: generosity as a mark of nobility, and a technical triad of head-forms (cūḍā, kirīṭa, saṃyatakeśa) used to classify appearance/insignia.
Alongside theology and ritual, the text catalogs practical socio-political markers—ethical traits (dāna) and outward insignia (hair/crown)—showing its wide coverage of governance, social order, and descriptive classifications.
By elevating dāna (generosity) as the sign of the udāra, it reinforces dāna-dharma as merit-producing conduct, while warning that meanness/lowliness is revealed by the absence of such giving.